Could someone have watched in secret? Cha Ming asked.
That’s the only way, Sun Wukong said. But that worries me. A mere transcendent shouldn’t have been able to spy on me. Then again, an immortal shouldn’t have been able to either.
Why not? Cha Ming asked. Immortals, along with gods, were the strongest beings in existence. If they couldn’t detect Sun Wukong, didn’t that mean he surpassed them?
Because immortals are too powerful for a small plane like this, Sun Wukong explained. If an immortal tried to enter the plane, the plane’s will would reject his or her entry. If they tried to enter forcefully, the plane’s will wouldn’t sit still and would use all its power to force him out, even if that meant wiping out every living thing inside it. Even the slightest leak of immortal power would destabilize the plane. Not many people have the ability to completely hide themselves like that. I doubt even the Jade Emperor could do it.
Then it’s as you said—there’s no use worrying about it, Cha Ming said, nodding. We can’t stop anyone that powerful from doing anything to us, so we might as well focus on things that we can affect. Like practicing.
Like practicing, Sun Wukong agreed. Now show me what you can do.
Cha Ming hesitated, but he obliged. He contorted his facial features to match Wang Jun’s. At the same time, he changed his height, the color of his skin, his hair, and his eyes. In mere seconds, he was the spitting image of the second young master of the Wang family.
You’re still missing something, Sun Wukong said, carefully inspecting his disguise. Aura.
Aura? Cha Ming asked.
You’ve changed your body, Sun Wukong explained. Now you need to change the aura you release from your cultivation and your soul.
He tapped Cha Ming’s forehead and transmitted a simple creation-qi technique. The technique was easy to understand, so Cha Ming immediately flooded his qi pathways with potent creation qi according to the technique and emulated the feel of Wang Jun’s qi. The aura around him darkened, but something still seemed off.
You can’t imitate the rest. He has a special constitution that obscures fate. If that could be imitated, everyone and his dog would be doing it.
Fair enough, Cha Ming said. Aura completed, he moved on to the next part: the soul. He merged his transcendent force with creation qi before picturing the feel of Wang Jun’s mind and personality. Everyone’s soul contained a unique quality that others could use to identify them. He calmed his mind, and the soul-infused creation qi became a blank slate. He wrote it over with everything he knew about Wang Jun: his calmness, his fervent devotion to his family and friends. His dreams for vengeance.
“How’s that, my dear heavenly teacher?” Cha Ming asked with a flare. “I doubt anyone would be able to see through this wonderful disguise.”
Unless you tried holding a conversation, Sun Wukong noted. That’s why you’ll need to use the second technique I gave you—soul skimming.
Cha Ming nodded. Soul skimming was a non-intrusive technique that picked through a nearby person’s recent memories, his aura, and his personality. Not only would it provide him with the necessary tools to imitate a person on a superficial level, he could also use it while speaking to obtain tidbits of relevant information or impressions that would reinforce his disguise.
What about the plan? Cha Ming asked. Ten years is too much time for me to commit. I know it’s important to build up a reputation, and my debt to Wang Jun is as high as the heavens themselves, but the war could be over by then. We need to act faster than that.
I have a way, Sun Wukong said hesitantly. But I’d need to take an active hand and alter memories. Given enough time in one location, and sufficiently weak people, I could create a memory of you. That way, if anyone were to pry into your origins, there would be some substance to any false information you plant. As for the rest, you’d need to pay someone to create a fake historical record. Not an impossible thing to do in a big city if you have enough money.
Tampering with other people’s memories, Cha Ming thought. He was uncomfortable with the concept. What were people, if not the sum of their experiences and relationships? Still, he weighed the tampering with the alternative. If he didn’t act fast, and the South moved on the North, the consequences would be dire. Countless innocents would die.
Let’s do it, he decided. I’ve done worse things to people. Since they’re innocent, make sure to give them pleasant memories.
Those take longer, Sun Wukong warned.
That’s fine, Cha Ming said. I’m only willing to go so far. Even in enemy territory.
Decision made, they continued walking in the Evergreen Battlefield, and as they did, Cha Ming practiced his new techniques. He became the short, devilish Jin Huang. He became the calm, icy Luo Xuehua. He finished off his acquaintances with Jun Xiezi, the calm painter who had lived many lifetimes vicariously.
After perfecting his acquaintances, he began to imitate the many soldiers and mercenaries on the battlefield. One moment, he was a spear-wielding madman. The other, he was a competent tracker, a man of nature who made few mistakes. He used creation qi and creation essence to imitate their weapons, their clothing, and their armor. Anything weaker than a
